The King and the Strawberry Garden

fable

The King and the Strawberry Garden

Read an A2-level story about kind Mrs. Green, her sweet strawberry garden, and a surprise visit from a king in disguise.

Title

The King and the Strawberry Garden

Seo_intro

Read an A2-level story about kind Mrs. Green, her sweet strawberry garden, and a surprise visit from a king in disguise.

Reading Text

Old Mrs. Green lived in a small wooden house near a blue stream. She loved sweet strawberries. Every spring, she planted her strawberry patch. She used a long piece of string to make sure every strawberry plant grew in a perfectly straight line. Every morning, Mrs. Green walked to the stream with two heavy buckets. She filled them with cool, fresh water and watered each plant carefully. Soon, bright red berries appeared. They were round, juicy, and delicious. One afternoon, a tired traveler walked down the dirt path. He wore an old gray cloak and dusty brown boots. "Hello, traveler," said Mrs. Green with a warm smile. "You look tired and thirsty. Please, sit on my bench and rest." The man sat down. Mrs. Green went to her neat rows and picked a small wooden bowl of fresh strawberries. She handed them to the stranger with a cup of cold water. The man tasted a strawberry. "These are the sweetest berries in the world!" he said. Then, he stood up and took off his dusty cloak. Underneath, he wore a fine purple jacket with shining gold buttons. "I am the King," he explained kindly. "I walk the streets of my kingdom in disguise to find kind people. Your heart is as sweet as your strawberries." The King gave Mrs. Green a shiny gold coin and a ribbon for having the neatest garden in the land.

Activities

Vocabulary

Items:

Label: patch
Answer: def-1
Label: buckets
Answer: def-2
Label: traveler
Answer: def-3
Label: cloak
Answer: def-4
Label: disguise
Answer: def-5
Label: neatest
Answer: def-6

Definitions:

Text: a small piece of land used for growing plants or vegetables
Text: round, open containers with handles used to carry liquids
Text: a person who is on a journey or visiting different places
Text: a loose outer coat without sleeves that covers the back and shoulders
Text: clothes or appearance used to hide one's true identity
Text: most clean, tidy, and arranged in an orderly way

Fill In The Blanks:

Before: The farmer walked to the well with two empty
After: to fetch water.
Answer: buckets
Before: We picked fresh, sweet berries from the garden
After: this morning.
Answer: patch
Before: A tired
After: knocked on the door to ask for directions.
Answer: traveler
Before: The actor wore a dark
After: over his shoulders to stay warm in the evening.
Answer: cloak
Before: The prince walked through the city in
After: so nobody would recognize him.
Answer: disguise

Comprehension

Questions:

Text: Mrs. Green used a piece of string to plant her strawberries in straight lines.
Answer: true
Text: Mrs. Green asked the traveler to pay money before she gave him any fruit.
Answer: false
Text: The traveler wore a purple jacket with gold buttons under his cloak.
Answer: true
Text: The traveler was actually a rich merchant buying fruit for his shop.
Answer: false
Text: The King rewarded Mrs. Green with a gold coin and a ribbon.
Answer: true

Scrambled:

Answer: Mrs. Green lived in a small wooden house.
Answer: She carried two heavy buckets of water.
Answer: A tired traveler walked down the dirt path.
Answer: The strawberries were round juicy and delicious.
Answer: The King gave her a shiny gold coin.

Written Expression

Questions:

Text: What did Mrs. Green do to show that she was a kind and generous person?
Text: Describe a time when you helped someone or when a stranger showed kindness to you.

Examples:

Example 1: She saw that the traveler was hot and tired, so she shared her cool water and fresh strawberries to make him feel welcome.

Example 2: Last summer, an elderly neighbor was carrying heavy grocery bags in the heat. I helped carry the bags to her front porch, and she gave me a glass of cold lemonade to say thank you.

Critical Thinking

Title: Classroom Discussion & Extension

Instructions:

Discuss why a leader or ruler might want to travel in disguise among regular people instead of visiting formally.
Imagine the King returned to Mrs. Green's garden one year later. How might Mrs. Green's life or garden have changed after receiving the royal ribbon and gold coin?